°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ Announces 2024 Racing Season; Condition Book & Stakes Information Now Available

February 6, 2024 – Altoona, IA. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel is pleased to announce our 2024 horse racing season schedule along with the release of the first condition book and stakes schedules for both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses. 

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾’ 2024 live racing season will begin on Friday, May 10 and will conclude on Saturday, September 28. A total of 80 racing days will be scheduled with both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. The season begins with 20 days of Thoroughbred-only racing from May 10 – June 15 and continues with a mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule of 60 race days from June 16 – September 28.

Live racing will be offered on a Friday – Monday schedule with the following exceptions: Opening week of racing which will feature racing on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 with no racing on Sunday or Monday May 12-13 and also no racing on Monday, July 1 during the week leading up to Independence Day there will be a special Wednesday racing performance on July 3 highlighted by central Iowa’s favorite fireworks display taking place after the races with post time set for 4:00 p.m. Standard post times for Friday and Saturday programs will be 6:00 p.m. while post times for Sunday and Monday programs will begin at 4:00 p.m. Special post times are scheduled for Saturday, May 18 (Preakness) and Saturday, June 8 (Belmont) at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 28 at 4:00 p.m. for the Iowa Classic. 

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ Condition Book #1 is now available and features the first 14 days of racing for Thoroughbreds only from May 10 – June 3 along with a preview section starting on page 70 for Quarter Horses with the first 10 days of racing from June 16 – July 3. “Overnight Thoroughbred purses have been increased approximately 5% across the board for the upcoming 2024 season,” noted Quarter Horse Racing Secretary Chad Keller. The 2024 Thoroughbred stakes schedule will once again showcase some of the top tier runners from around the country during the Festival of Racing on July 5 and 6 with the Grade 3 $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap for ages 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles along with the $250,000 Iowa Derby and $225,000 Iowa Oaks for 3-year-olds anchoring the Festival. The top Iowa bred runners will take center stage during the Iowa Classic closing night card on September 28 featuring all Iowa bred races for both breeds including a new addition for 2024 on the Thoroughbred schedule with the Iowa Classic Distaff Sprint overnight stake for Iowa bred fillies and mares going 6 furlongs with a purse of approximately $51,400.

“The Quarter Horse overnight purses will be similar to last year, with a few stakes seeing increased purses and we’ll average around $13,500 per open overnight purse in 2024 – matching our highest level set last year and offering 4 Quarter Horse races on Sundays and Mondays once again” Keller explained.

The 2024 Quarter Horse stakes schedule continues a similar format to last year and with some additional monies added to the stakes program, the 2024 program features 22 stakes worth an estimated $1,850,000 with the following Futurities and Derbies estimated to surpass $100,000 in value:

  •  Hawkeye Futurity (IA) $115,000 est. 
  •  °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ Gold Futurity $175,000 est.
  • °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ Gold Derby $100,000 est.
  •  Grade 3 - Valley Junction Futurity $250,000 est. 
  •  Altoona Derby $125,000 est.
  •  Jim Bader Futurity (IA) $175,000 est.
  • Polk County Derby (IA) $120,000 est. 

Open and Iowa bred aged Quarter Horse runners will be featured throughout the season highlighted with the Grade 3 $40,000g Keokuk Stakes, $40,000g Cy-Hawk Stakes (IA), Grade 3 $30,000a PRM Distaff Challenge, Grade 2 $45,000a PRM Championship Challenge, Grade 3 $35,000 Covered Bridges, Grade 3 $50,000g Two Rivers, $70,000g Future of Iowa (IA) and $70,000g Terrace Hill (IA).

For Quarter Horse owners and trainers, please be advised that any finalist for a stake race that has nomination, sustaining and/or late supplemental payments in order to be eligible to participate must be stabled on grounds from the scheduled date of time trials until the final has run regardless if time trials were held or not. Details on Quarter Horse finalists stabling on grounds can be found in the 2024 Iowa Quarter Horse Hair Testing Protocols, page 27 in condition books (also page 71 in Book #1 with QH preview section) and in the General Conditions for all PRM / IQHRA Futurity & Derby nomination forms. This provision will apply to AQHA Racing Challenge races here at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ as well.

Additional information released by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ Racing Department:

  •  Barn Area Opens for Horses on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. 
  •  Training begins on Sunday, April 14, 2024 (weather permitting) 
  •  Stall applications for both breeds are due to the Racing Office by Tuesday, April 2, 2024
  •  Quarter Horse Futurity & Derby nomination forms are available online at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ website /racing/horsemens-info/quarter-horse-racing and payment schedules start March 1 for some races.
  •  Horse health requirements for both breeds and ponies are available online, on the stall application form, or on page 6 in the condition book. 

Any additional details on the 2024 live racing season will be posted at /racing as they become available.

To continue receiving information about the 2024 live horse racing season, visit /signmeup

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